Photo on the left - my grandfather and his brother, target shooting somewhere in CA.

On the right - my grandfather, shortly before he got busted by a game warden for illegally shooting (and killing) a bird - the fine was $25. The caption in the photo, written on the photograph itself, says "Looking for the $25 bird."

The year was sometime around 1919 or 1920.

Both rifles pictured are still in the family. My dad's got one, and I've got the other. Grandpa and his brother are now gone, but it's nice to see that they enjoyed target shooting just as I do today. :)

Let's hear about your stories - photos are always a big bonus. I have more to share but I'll give a few people a chance to add to the thread before I post a few more.

Every male (and these days, female) child in my family is supposed to learn how to shoot, among other things.

Vtec44

11-02-2009, 11:00 PM

My grandpa was in the military.... :D

Cokebottle

11-02-2009, 11:21 PM

No photos, but yup.... father, grandfathers, and I'm sure beyond.
Father was in the USN during WWII serving in the Marshalls... still alive and kicking... well... not kicking MUCH as he's currently having a 2nd knee replacement, but he was up and walking less than 2 weeks after having his 1st knee replaced.
Just turned 87 last month.

On the right - my grandfather, shortly before he got busted by a game warden for illegally shooting (and killing) a bird - the fine was $25. The caption in the photo, written on the photograph itself, says "Looking for the $25 bird."

Are you sure that you grandfather was not fined the $25.00 for flipping the game warden the bird:D Look like his hand was blotted out for some reason....

Photo on the left - my grandfather and his brother, target shooting somewhere in CA.

On the right - my grandfather, shortly before he got busted by a game warden for illegally shooting (and killing) a bird - the fine was $25. The caption in the photo, written on the photograph itself, says "Looking for the $25 bird."

The year was sometime around 1919 or 1920.

Both rifles pictured are still in the family. My dad's got one, and I've got the other. Grandpa and his brother are now gone, but it's nice to see that they enjoyed target shooting just as I do today. :)

Let's hear about your stories - photos are always a big bonus. I have more to share but I'll give a few people a chance to add to the thread before I post a few more.

Turby

That pretty cool. As far as I know I'm the only one in a large catholic family that was ever into guns. My parents are both completely against guns.

joelukehart

11-03-2009, 12:25 AM

My father used to hunt pheasant in the midweast when he was younger. I wouldn't say he was into guns, its just that everyone had them. I think it was his uncle who gave him a Browning semi-auto 20 gauge which he just passed down to me.

Crusader

11-03-2009, 1:06 AM

One of my great grandfather's first purchases when arriving in the U.S. was a Springfield 1878 Trapdoor rifle. I've got the thing in my gun safe. I was really looking forward to finding some BP 45-70 ammo but apparently it's not too popular anymore.

El Gato

11-03-2009, 1:47 AM

Dad was a gun nut when he was a kid and later became a Sheriff's Deputy and is still a gun nut...got it from his uncle who got it from his dad and uncle...and so on until you get to the really ancestral (that's a word ain't it) relatives... .say 1850 or so.... what lived in the mountains of what we like to call california and used bows and arrows and tried to shoot what became my great something uncles and grandpa... great great grand daddy ended up marrying one of the indians and then the uncles did and so now I have this darker sort of skin, and flatish face and a thick head of hair and these strange urgings to wear deer skin and eat pinion nuts and chip obsidian....:D

Peter W Bush

11-03-2009, 1:55 AM

My great grandfather carried a Schwarzlose in Syria. For those that don't know, its a blow-forward pistol.

nagorb

11-03-2009, 2:08 AM

My great grandfather carried a Schwarzlose in Syria. For those that don't know, its a blow-forward pistol.

What is a blow forward pistol?

NSR500

11-03-2009, 2:17 AM

My Ancestors are Filipino and Spaniard; of course I come from a gun family. You don't think Guam and the Philippines welcomed the Spaniards with open arms do you? ;)
I'm pretty handy with anything I can use as a defensive tool.

Air

11-03-2009, 4:53 AM

Yup, guns have been a way of life for my family on my dads side, farmers in South Central Missouri...Probably all the way back when the farm was homesteaded in the early 1800's. On my moms side, there is a particular Injun chief that raised hell with whitey...using firearms of course.

caldude

11-03-2009, 7:13 AM

Nope, I'm the only shooter in my family. My dad's dad was a cop, but he died before I was born. Otherwise, only my cousins in Oregon who hunt have guns.

high_revs

11-03-2009, 7:32 AM

i'm the only one and the first one on the mom and pop side to own one. i dunno if someone on my mom side shoot at least (i think some of my cousins shot at least but not own i think).

gdun

11-03-2009, 7:39 AM

My grandpa served during korea. he became a marksman with a garand.
HE never actually went to korea because when they found out he was a pro ball player/coach they had him man play/manage the baseball team. He was in the majors as a coach for a good number of years too. His brother did go to korea though, he caught a mortar blast to the head. He was in the dead pile until someone heard him moaning, and dug him out. now he has some steel in his skull.
Anyways, my gramps never got into guns after serving until my father and him started going hunting

pennys dad

11-03-2009, 7:51 AM

My Pa wasnt into guns. My Ma not into guns. My grandpappy on my Ma's side rode with Pancho Villa. His guns are buried somewhere under 3 feet of concrete in an unknown spot. My Ma felt his guns where cursed because of all the deaths they caused.

SJgunguy24

11-03-2009, 7:53 AM

I know my father did, or at least he died the last time he shot up dope....

My mom's side, hell yeah. Shoshoni indian, and British. My family got to the west back in the early 1800's. My family roots are southern Idaho and eastern Washington. We mixed with the natives and settled the part of the Snake river valley, and hunting and fishing was part of my family.
What's weird is my cousin and I won't see each other for a couple of years but when we do. We have the same intrests, back when I drank and smoked, we smoked the same cigs and drank the same booze.
We're booth into guns, love the outdoors and are really good with our hands.

acolytes

11-03-2009, 8:00 AM

My dad was in the infantry in the Viet Nam war until he got his legs blown almost completely off by mortar fire. I don't think he was against guns or was a gun nut. He was just like whatever with it after the war. When I was still living at home I had guns, and my parents never had any problems with it. My mom is 63 now and a member of the NRA. She's not a gun nut, just a hardcore Republican. She would like to have a gun, but she's so tiny (4'10" and 85 pounds). The only thing she can handle is a .22. She keeps a butter knife under her pillow for protection. lol

Rusty Shackleford

11-03-2009, 8:15 AM

Mom,dad,grandparents on both sides,aunts,uncles,cousins.......the gunnies are prevalent in my family.

I consider myself lucky to have been brought up in such a smart family. I have been shooting since I could safely hold and operate a gun.

Hopi

11-03-2009, 8:32 AM

Great pic Turbi!!

I'm a descendant of Daniel Boone.

http://earlyamerica.com/lives/boone/boone.jpg

Peter W Bush

11-03-2009, 12:14 PM

What is a blow forward pistol?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowback_(arms)#Blow-Forward

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarzlose_Model_1908

Super Spy

11-03-2009, 12:22 PM

I know we have big game hunters with multiple Safari's under their belts on both sides of the family. My Grandpa's sailboat was even named Safari. I don't know about pics but I'll ask.

Bruce

11-03-2009, 3:52 PM

My mother was a shoter and nter (huntress?). She was the third of three girls and became the "son" my grandfather never had. He had a couple of shotguns, a 12ga and a 16ga. One was a SXS and the other a pump. Sadly, he sold them before he moved to California from Iowa,(and before I was that well known gleam in the eye), thinking he wouldn't be doing much more hunting at his age. I still have my mom's Winchester .22 pump that she used to head shoot squirrels.

a1c

11-03-2009, 4:38 PM

Oddly enough, neither my dad nor his father were into shooting or hunting. My dad inherited a couple of rifles (double-barreled 16 and 20-gauge, respectively, and he refers to the latter as a "damsel rifle"), but he only took them out to shoot clay targets a couple of times a year, or to kill moles in his yard.

Almost all my uncles and cousins however were or are into hunting. And one of my cousins is in the military. Saw a lot of action in Africa and Afghanistan, but nothing he can really talk about...

I do have an old pic of a great-great-uncle with his rifle on his back. He looks like a Corsican bandit. I need to scan that pic next time I go to my parents.

My great grandfather got into an argument in the early fifty's with his neighbors. He shot and killed both and then offed himself. He was into guns. In his early life he shot a couple of robbers try to wagon jack him.

My uncle shot his stepson with a black powder pistol. The stepson was a violent kid and he would beat on my uncle. The kid lived and learned an important lesson.

gdun

11-03-2009, 6:05 PM

[QUOTE=a1c;3310029]Oddly enough, neither my dad nor his father were into shooting or hunting. My dad inherited a couple of rifles (double-barreled 16 and 20-gaugeQUOTE]

damn i didn't know they made rifles in 16 and 20 gauge ;)

DB2

11-03-2009, 7:05 PM

It's hit and miss with mine. Some of my uncles were in the military. One grandfather was military pre WWII. Dad was in Marines, but not really into guns. After my aunt did the lineage, she said that one of my great, great, great........... Uncles had a gun. Patrick Henry. I thought that was kinda cool.

Steyrlp10

11-03-2009, 7:13 PM

Absolutely!

First, there were the Tongs. Then came along my cousin, Bob Chow. Finally, a police family.

I don't keep a knife under my pillow, but I'm still handy with a fork - lol

MrPlutonium

11-03-2009, 7:28 PM

My grandfathers and father were all conscripts in the south korean army, so they all knew how to shoot but my father has a particular aversion to having guns in his home. He enjoys shooting but somehow will not have guns at home, which I find a bit perplexing, but to each his own I guess.

TaxAnnihilator

11-03-2009, 7:32 PM

Great photos. Apparently one of my great (maybe +great) grandfathers made a rifle, I have not seen it yet, nor have much info. But I have been itching to get my hands on it!

Grandfathers were in the military, but not really into firearms.

Seesm

11-03-2009, 9:28 PM

Some were into firearms yes and some no...

My Grandpa was station in Germany during WWII and was big into firearms and I have all his stuff.

My Dad and step dad where both in the armed forces during Vietnam but neither are all that into guns after... (heck maybe not even before)

My step Dad is not into them at all and my Dad has a bunch but never shoots or even cleans or looks at them. I just started to get him to let me clean and shoot his to keep em going...

Nobody else in my family is into guns at all hence why I got all G-Pa's guns...

Well my Mom (My WWII G-Pa's oldest daughter) likes to shoot her pistol once in awhile at my place.

Above: My dad pistol whipping his cousin... :) Try to get away with playtime like *this* nowadays!! Again, mid or late 1940's.

All pics were taken in San Francisco. Good times...

Turby

nagorb

11-03-2009, 11:01 PM

Even in my day most of the guns didn't have any of the bright colors. Now you cant find any that even look semi real, at least that I have seen.

Turbinator

11-03-2009, 11:05 PM

Even in my day most of the guns didn't have any of the bright colors. Now you cant find any that even look semi real, at least that I have seen.

Did they have barrel plugs that were red though?

My toy guns were black or cast metal; but they all had red barrel plugs. I promptly removed those plugs from as many of my toy guns as I could.. :)

Turby

nagorb

11-03-2009, 11:09 PM

Did they have barrel plugs that were red though?

My toy guns were black or cast metal; but they all had red barrel plugs. I promptly removed those plugs from as many of my toy guns as I could.. :)

Turby

Some did but most didn't. If they did have it I did the same.

I remember my mom telling me I should paint them so I didn't get shot by someone.

Cokebottle

11-03-2009, 11:28 PM

Did they have barrel plugs that were red though?

My toy guns were black or cast metal; but they all had red barrel plugs. I promptly removed those plugs from as many of my toy guns as I could.. :)
Growing up in the 60s, none of mine did.
I had a metal 1911 cap gun (that was a bit smaller than a baby Kel-Tec) that was flat OD green. One grip flipped open to load, and the caps fed out the top where a very realistic hammer fired them.

Had a very real looking revolver in plastic, metal hammer. Bone white grip and black frame, typical potmetal hammer. Not a cap gun, just a noisemaker.

Daisy "shotgun" air rifle. Didn't fire anything but a light puff of air, but if you put motor oil in the "oil" hole, it smoked after being "fired".

Had a gazillion other various capguns and cork guns... all were very realistic. The only guns I ever had that looked like toys were the suction cup dart guns and water pistols... and I even had quite a few flat black water pistols!
They were cool, but I didn't like them because I could never tell when I needed to reload.

And yes... this is yet another example of California's stupid gun laws.
Like the kid that pulls the cap off of his toy gun... what's to keep the bag guys from shooting the ends of their guns with orange paint?

7.62x54R

11-03-2009, 11:29 PM

No Family that i know of is into guns. except for me :rolleyes:

fal_762x51

11-03-2009, 11:38 PM

Grandfather fought for the Philippines under the U.S. in WWII, great grandfather fought against the U.S. during the Philippine Insurrection. My grandmother grew up on the farm in the east coast, the family always hunted; I need to find the pictures of the turkey and the Sears shotgun. My mother was into target shooting with a bow and my father was never big on hunting because he grew up in L.A.. I do both target and hunting with a little bit of collecting mixed in.

odysseus

11-03-2009, 11:57 PM

Yes, I come from a long, long line of gun owners in my American ancestry. Going much further back there is a coat of arms of a warrior clan, and colors I could be wearing. On both sides paternal and maternal there is an ancestry of arms ownership and practice. I was shooting after I could walk.

Steyrlp10

11-04-2009, 8:11 AM

Did they have barrel plugs that were red though?

My toy guns were black or cast metal; but they all had red barrel plugs. I promptly removed those plugs from as many of my toy guns as I could.. :)

Turby

Cute pics -- I had a similar rig for all my cowboy stuff, including the black hat with white stitching -- yeehaw! Maybe it's a SF/Bay Area thing?

So, it was hilarious to see my husband's baby photos -- he had the same stuff as I did except he was on a real pony! I have that 8x10 in my office along with police and bass photos. Reminds the bosses to not stress me out - lol

Dr. Peter Venkman

11-04-2009, 8:24 AM

Nope. First generation shooter.

M. D. Van Norman

11-04-2009, 9:57 AM

There have been firearms in my family going back at least a couple generations, but that fact was rarely discussed. My father (a self-described bleeding-heart liberal Democrat) had an extensive collection that I learned about only just before he sold it. I got him interested in shooting again a few years ago, and now we occasionally go to the range together.